What Are My Options For Controlling An Overactive Bladder
Well, the first step is lifestyle changes like Kegels, changing fluid intake, scheduling bathroom visits, and some even try acupuncture! *
At one point you may have tried consuming less water in an attempt to lessen the problem, but denying yourself the benefits of proper hydration so you wont have to go to the bathroom is really and unfortunate trade off.
The goal should always be to return the body to normal functioning so you can enjoy normal life and rich health.
Then there are prescription medications, but these are expensive and come with a long list of side-effects like constipation, dry mouth, blurred vision, and dizziness, which could end up making your situation worse!*
Okay so now onto the exciting part
Causes Of Interstitial Cystitis Painful Bladder Syndrome
No actual cause is available but symptoms resemble Bacterial Infection but the medical test shows no organism.
Some Genetic subtypes have been linked to the disorder
Some theories are speculated for the possible causation of the disease
- A pathogenic role of mast cells in the detrusor and/or mucosal layers of the bladder
- Deficiency in the glycosaminoglycan layer on the luminal surface of the bladder, resulting in increased permeability of the underlying submucosal tissues to toxic substances in the urine.
- Infection with a poorly characterized agent
- Production of a toxic substance in the urine
- Neurogenic hypersensitivity or inflammation-mediated locally at the bladder or spinal cord level
- Manifestation of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction or dysfunctional voiding
- Autoimmune disorder
- Urinary frequency, urgency, and pain
- A sense of pressure, discomfort, or pain in the pelvis
- A vague sense of incomplete bladder emptying
- A constant sensation or compulsion to void
- Dyspareunia, sex-related distress and decline in libido and orgasm frequency are also common
- Women may experience an increase in symptoms during menstruation and men may feel pain in the scrotum or penis while ejaculation.
Painful urination is described as a burning sensation in the urethra during urination, pelvic pain that is worsened with the consumption of certain foods or drinks, urinary urgency, and pressure in the bladder or pelvis.
Side Effects And Risks Of Homeopathic Medicine And Treatment For Urine Incontinence
Homeopathic remedies usually do not have any side effects when taken in appropriate doses according to the prescription of a qualified homeopathic doctor. This is because the prescription is based on the disease severity as well as a persons physical and mental makeup. The remedies are given in extremely diluted, minute and controlled doses, making side effects a rare occurrence.
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What Is An Overactive Bladder
An overactive bladder refers to a condition where there is a frequent, sudden and unstoppable urge to urinate. This urge to urinate may occur only during the day or during the night or both. The urinary bladder is a sac-like muscular organ. It stores urine produced by the kidneys until it passes out of the body through the urethra. When the urinary bladder fills up completely, there is an exchange of a series of nerve signals between the urinary bladder, the brain, and the pelvic floor. The coordination between these nerve signals makes the detrusor muscle of the bladder contract, the pelvic floor and the external sphincter of the bladder relax, and helps the urine to drain out. In the case of an overactive bladder, the bladder muscles contract involuntarily and make the person feel the need to pass urine even when the bladder is only slightly filled. The problem with an overactive bladder can be treated very effectively with homeopathy. The homeopathic treatment for an overactive bladder helps by curing the cause of the problem. The selection of medicines for an overactive bladder should be made based on a complete symptom picture of the individual case. This treatment is completely safe and works wonderfully to give symptomatic relief to the patient.
Specific Antidepressants May Suppress Symptoms
Specific antidepressants such as Tofranil, Tyramine and Norfranil may help to suppress overactive bladder symptoms. Which one your doctor chooses to prescribe will depend on your particular symptoms.
For example, the SSRI class of antidepressants works better for stress incontinence than for urge incontinence, although its not clear how it helps. Alternatively, tricyclic antidepressants are known to have anticholinergic side effects, which relax the bladder muscle and cause the muscles of the bladder neck to contract.
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Phosphoric Acid And Equisetum Hyemale Homeopathic Medicine For An Overactive Bladder With Frequent And Profuse Urination
Phosphoric Acid and Equisetum Hyemale are good homeopathic medicines for an overactive bladder in cases of frequent and large quantities of urination. Phosphoric Acid is helpful when a person passes large amounts of clear, watery urine, mostly at night. Weakness may also occur. Equisetum Hyemale is useful when there is a constant feeling of fullness in the urinary bladder. The person passes a large quantity of urine very often, but the fullness is not relieved. Sometimes urine is passed involuntarily both in the day and at night.
Dietary Changes And Fluid Management
One of the most straightforward methods in the treatment of OAB involves making dietary changes. This involves cutting out several known food irritants from the diet and limiting fluid intake.
Foods to avoid
Foods and drinks, which are known to cause or worsen the symptoms of OAB include:
- alcohol
- tomatoes
- vinegar
As triggers from food vary from person to person, it can be helpful for people to keep a diary detailing food intake and bladder symptoms. A diary can help people work out which foods are causing the greatest problems.
Manage fluid intake
Drinking enough water is essential for health. Too little water can lead to concentrated urine, which can irritate the bladder lining, increasing urgency. Too many liquids may worsen frequency symptoms. Fluid intake before bed can contribute to urinating during the night.
A , published in Research and Reports in Urology, recommends limiting fluid intake to 6 to 8 glasses of water daily, and avoiding liquids for 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
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How Do You Separate The Good Products From The Junk
We have a passion for natural health, and many of us have suffered from overactive bladder complications ourselves. Thats why we went out and compared some of the top natural bladder support remedies to see which ones really worked and which ones we can throw in the garbage*
Heres What We Looked for in a Product:
With years of experience, our research team dove into stacks of medical journals and consumer reports and studied exactly how certain herbs can help boost bladder health and normalize bladder activity. We narrowed the list to 3 essential ingredients that no effective bladder support remedy would be without:
Uva Ursi
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Uva Ursi is well-known for its ability to soothe the urinary tract and even help beat infections and other bladder-related conditions. Additionally, Uva Ursi helps promote urine flow and lessens bloating and water retention, which both help with weight loss. Its antiseptic and antibacterial properties make it a must-have for any bladder and urination supplement.*
Cornsilk
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Cornsilk is a soothing diuretic that acts as an anti-inflammatory and demulcent easing bladder inflammation and providing a protective film around the affected area so it can properly heal. Its also an excellent urinary tract support supplement due to its antiseptic and antibacterial properties.*
Horsetail
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Liquid Formula
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Botox For An Overactive Bladder
Although not commonly used, Botox is a handy muscle relaxer for a variety of conditions, including an overactive bladder. The compound is injected right into the bladder, and patients can experience fewer uncomfortable contractions and increased bladder capacity for up to a year after the injection has taken place.
However, Botox isnt without its dangers. Some patients find that after the procedure they retain urine too much, and experience pain and complications . For these reasons, Botox for overactive bladder treatment is only considered for certain people.
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And Throw A Bit Of Vitamin D In There As Well
Something else that you can do to your diet is throw in a bit of Vitamin D.
While the primary use of this vitamin has been to promote calcium intake over the years, some studies have shown that it has positive effects on the bladder as well.
Its worth mentioning that the daily requirement of vitamin D is 600 IU and most people fall well short of this.
Considering the fact that studies have specifically targeted vitamin D in relation to incontinence issues, it might be time to fine-tune your diet.
Causticum Homeopathic Medicine For An Overactive Bladder With Involuntary Passage Of Urine Or Urinary Incontinence
Causticum is a beneficial homeopathic medicine for an overactive bladder in cases where there is an involuntary flow of urine. This symptom can cause a lot of problems when it occurs at night or if the patient is walking. Causticum also helps in strengthening the bladder sphincter and in controlling urinary incontinence.
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Clothing Bedding And Wearable Products
For children with daytime wetting, clothes that come on and off easily may help prevent accidents. A wristwatch alarm set to vibrate can privately remind your child to visit the toilet, without help from a teacher or parent.
For children who wet the bed, the following practices can make life easier and may boost your childs confidence:
- Leave out dry pajamas and towels so your child can clean up easily.
- Layer waterproof pads and fitted sheets on the bed. Your child can quickly pull off wet bedding and put it in a hamper. Fewer signs of wetting may help your child feel less embarrassed.
- Have your child help with the clean-up and laundry the next day. However, dont make it a punishment.
- Be sure your child showers or bathes every day to wash away the smell of urine.
- Plan to stop using diapers, training pants, or disposable training pants, except when sleeping away from home. These items may discourage your child from getting out of bed to use the toilet.
Dont make a habit of waking your child during the night to use the bathroom. Researchers dont think it helps children overcome bedwetting.3
Altering The Bladder With Bladder Augmentation Surgery
When all other approaches to strengthen and retrain the bladder have failed, you may need to alter the bladder itself. This surgery is typically used as a last resort and in only the most severe cases of an overactive bladder.
Bladder augmentation involves enlarging the bladder with a section of your large intestine, so theres more physical space to store urine in and less pressure to urinate frequently. The surgery is the most invasive and complicated procedure for solving overactive bladder problems, and includes a long recovery time and possible lasting consequences. Once you have bladder augmentation surgery, you will cease to be able to urinate naturally you will have to use a catheter or stoma.
The good news is that many, if not most cases of an overactive bladder can be very well controlled with healthy lifestyle changes, and natural and traditional medical treatments. Its important to remember that not all of the listed treatment options may work for everyone.
Remember to discuss the above overactive bladder treatment options with your doctor before beginning them.
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Surgical Treatment For Overactive Bladder
Surgery may recommended for severe cases. The two most-commonly used procedures are:
- increases bladder size by removing a section of the bowel and adding it to the bladder. Increased bladder size allows someone to store more urine, reducing the urge to urinate. Possible complications include infection, blood clots, bowel obstruction, urinary fistula, and an increased risk of bladder tumors .
- Sacral Nerve Stimulation is a newer surgical technique that involves placing a small electrical device in the lower back. The device sends electrical impulses to the sacral nerve, which improves control of the muscles in the bladder and pelvic floor.
Dietary And Lifestyle Changes For Urine Incontinence As Per Homeopathy
Dr Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, has recommended that a patient makes certain dietary and lifestyle changes while undergoing homeopathic treatment. This is because homeopathic remedies are given in highly diluted doses and their action is easily affected by outside factors. Let us have a look at some of these recommendations.
Dos:
- In the case of acute urinary incontinence, use linen and cotton clothing in the summer season and adjust the room temperature according to your comfort.
- In the case of chronic urinary incontinence, live an active lifestyle and eat healthy foods.
- Try and keep your body and mind calm.
Donts:
- In the case of acute urinary incontinence, do not live in unhygienic surroundings.
- In the case of chronic urinary incontinence, do not consume beverages like herbal teas, liquors prepared from medicinal spices, coffee, punches and odorous waters.
- Do not eat an excess of sugary, salty or spicy foods.
- Avoid eating vegetables and herbs that have medicinal properties.
- Do not read books while lying down.
- Try not to be angry or over-excited.
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Symptoms Of Overactive Bladder
One of the symptoms of overactive bladder is when you are unable to hold off going to the bathroom to urinate the first time you feel the urge. Another symptom is having to go to the bathroom too many times. Seven or more toilet trips should be a reason for you to consult your doctor.
Common symptoms of overactive bladder include:
- An urgent and uncontrollable need to urinate
- Frequent involuntary loss of urine urge incontinence, leakage of gushing of urine that follows a sudden, strong urge.
- Frequent urination and usually two or more times at night.
There may also be dribbling, incontinence with sneezing or laughing, or stress incontinence but these alone do not qualify as overactive bladder syndrome. The filling and emptying of the bladder directly involve the kidney system and a complex interplay of nerve signals and muscle activity in the baller urethra, and brain. A problem in any of these systems can contribute to an overactive bladder.
Symptoms of overactive bladder can change. They may be different from person to person, too, which can make identifying the issue difficult without a doctors help. Knowing the symptoms of overactive bladder can help you find better treatments faster.
Kegel Exercises And Muscle Training
You can also do special pelvic floor exercises, or Kegel exercises, in addition to regular exercise. Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles to minimize involuntary contractions and improve posture. Its also one of the safest behavioral therapies without side effects and complications.
To do Kegel exercises:
You can also talk to a physical therapist to see if youre squeezing the right muscles.
Yes, Kegel exercises works for men, too »
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Seven Effective Treatments For Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder occurs when sudden or frequent urges to urinate become hard to control, and can often lead to leakage .
In order to best treat overactive bladder, a urologist must pinpoint the underlying cause. Treatment will depend on symptom severity and the degree to which they impact someone’s quality of life. In general, there are three approaches to treatment: medication, behavioral interventions, and surgery.
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If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition, consult your doctor before use. Your healthcare professional is the best source for guidance before beginning an exercise or nutritional supplement program.
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The Modern Way To Address Bladder Control
So far, weve looked at some fairly straightforward methods to deal with the problem most of which can easily be adopted into your lifestyle.
A slightly more modern approach comes in the form of biofeedback. This involves electrical sensors monitoring the muscles in your body, which ultimately reveals exactly what is causing incontinence.
Its a technique that is popular amongst physical therapists and actually can be linked to Kegal exercises. For example, a lot of therapists will monitor your body via this method, before recommending appropriate Kegal exercises based on the feedback.
Unfortunately, this is one of the more expensive ways to deal with incontinence.
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There are two different types of overactive bladder. The dry type is when you have an urgent, sudden need to urinate a lot of times during the day. The wet type is when you have urgent, sudden need to urinate and you go through bladder leakage, which is referred to as urge incontinence.
Both of these types could happen without underlying health issue.
What Are Common Causes Of Overactive Bladder?
OAB happens in both men and women and you can suffer from it at any point in your life. However, this condition seems to be common in older adults .
Overactive bladder is usually caused by the underlying causes:
What Are Symptoms Of Overactive Bladder?
Signs and symptoms of overactive bladder could include the following:
- Sudden urge to urinate.
- Difficult to control urination such as difficulty not urinating, urinary incontinence.
- Urinate several times a day, usually eight or more times in 24 hours.
- 2 or more than 2 times that you urinate during the night .
- In severe cases, the patient can have intermittent bedwetting
- Urinary incontinence but not cause hurt for the patient if there is no underlying urinary tract infection. The amount of urine in the day is not too much .
How Does Overactive Bladder Affect The Patient?
Who Is At Risk Of Overactive Bladder?
When To See A Doctor?
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